Gun stocks like Smith & Wesson's and outdoor goods retailers like Cabela's that also sell guns, got crushed in the immediate aftermath of the Sandy Hook massacre. Amid the outcry and the Obama administration's plan to change gun policies, advisors expect clients will want to sell gun stocks but that it might be difficult to clear portfolios. Others however warn that this uproar about guns will die down in six months.

Investment advisor Joshua Brown says there were four major themes for investors this year. The first was the Apple obsession, but the stock's recent downward trajectory has left investors in unfamiliar terrain. The second and the biggest winning trade was in homebuilder stocks. The third big theme was investors piling into bond funds. And the fourth big theme was the inflows out of active funds, and into passive funds like Vanguard.

As we wrap up 2012, Business Insider's Matthew Boesler reached out to some of our favorite analysts, economists and traders to get their favorite charts of 2012. Of the 70 charts he curated Boesler said John Stolzfus and Matthew Naidorf's gold chart was his favorite. Here is their explanation:

"Uncertainty, financial crisis, currency debasement, accommodative monetary policies, and central bank additions to gold reserves undoubtedly wheaten investors' appetite for the 'safe haven' and 'storehouse of value' attributes of the metal. We believe, however, that ultimately it was the accessibility and liquidity provided by the ETF structure that facilitated the momentum and scope of gold's performance. Our chart illustrates the rise of gold eight years before and eight years after the launch of SPDR Gold Shares (GLD)."Oppenheimer

Per capita beer consumption has been falling and bourbon sales have surged in comparison, according to Citi's Vivien Azer. Meanwhile, spirits also give alcohol drinkers more "buzz for their buck".

"While we like the pockets of growth that remain in the U.S. beer category, overall we continue to believe that the U.S. spirits segment offers a more attractive return profile for investors, given the less impressive trends that we expect to continue to see for the U.S. beer category, generally. As such, our favorite name within our alcoholic beverage coverage remains Brown-Forman, where we have an $80 target price, which represents 28% ETR from current levels."

Credit Suisse analysts expect 2013, to be "disappointingly similar to 2012" but identify 13 investment themes for next year. These include healthcare reform, U.S. housing, shale revolution, and, automation.

In housing, homebuilders and building product companies will benefit from the improvement in home sales and prices. Among banks Wells Fargo will likely be the biggest beneficiary, and, mortgage REITs and insurers will also be key winners. The biggest risks to housing are "elimination of the mortgage interest deduction and/or significantly higher FHA down payment requirements".

Paul Merriman, founder of Merriman LLC writes that moving money out of individual stocks and active funds, into index (passive) funds can help people retire earlier.

Index funds add money to savings and help avoid stupid decisions. Merriman highlights ten ways in which index funds can help savings, these include reducing turnover since they rarely replace stocks and bonds, saving on taxes, and reduced risk through diversification.